A Sea-change in HBS Customer Interaction...

[Prussian Havoc]

paradoxs interaction with there fan base was why I was excited witht the hbs paternership, and its also why I was annoyed with HBS going to so silent. but seeing that HBS atleast one employee came on saying things are moving is a start. But man I cant imagine needing 3 to 4 months down time fo ranything. They must have to work 7 days a week 12 hrs days in no AC.

Some of us (myself included) are more than HBS Customers...

...we're HBS Fans. Jordan tangentially spoke of this unique relationship of a Game Developer to its gamers at GenCon51 yesterday: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/292746720 (Jordan's Interview begins at 57:30)

We'll see where we go from here, but Jordan remains constant in his recognition of the special relationship HBS established early on with its Kickstarter Backers. And that brought a smile to my face. : )

 

[stjobe]

But man I cant imagine needing 3 to 4 months down time fo ranything.

Last major patch was six weeks ago, last minor just over a week ago - where are you getting "3 to 4 months" from?

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Last major patch was six weeks ago, last minor just over a week ago - where are you getting "3 to 4 months" from?

Prior to Launch, HBS began winnowing down its customer interaction (to wit, those interactions mentioned in the OP) plus it's frequency and scope of interaction on the forum.

It is this I believe @pmaura refers.

 

[stjobe]

Prior to Launch, HBS began winnowing down its customer interaction (to wit, those interactions mentioned in the OP) plus it's frequency and scope of interaction on the forum.

It is this I believe @pmaura refers.

Really? You think "3 to four months downtime" includes the mad and frantic push for launch?

I know you're not pleased with the current level of interaction, but come on.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Really? You think "3 to four months downtime" includes the mad and frantic push for launch?

I know you're not pleased with the current level of interaction, but come on.

:bow:

No doubts, like a duck on a lake, HBS was paddling like mad below the surface of the forum/et.al. to get to, through and past not just Launch but those crucial patches just post-launch.

:bow:

And you do have an excellent point about... how best to describe it... Horizontal Development of BATTLETECH 3025, rather than Vertically Developing into the next BATTLETECH Eras (3028, 3048/50.)

Ideally HBS could do both. And who knows, with Paradox funds and resources maybe we are not so far from such concurrent HBS game development once again.

Time was HBS had their team divied up between three games (Golem Arcana, Necropolis and BATTLETECH) each game at different points in the Game Development Cycle and worked by Team HBS Specialists according to their Development Cycle needs. : )

A return to that model of Game Development would be most welcome in my opinion.

 

[Jamey]

Huh, June 20th isn't July 20th? You mean we're in August already?

My bad, I'll edit the post. Thank you.

It happens to the best of us.

To be clear, in case I wasn't, I'm very happy with the patches we've had so far. I'm also OK with them reducing their communications with us. I just think that it would be a good customer interaction to give us an idea of if and when they'll get back to more regular official interactions like dev streams.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

It is good on a number of levels to know you are missed. : )

 

[sparkyp]

Gone is the HBS “Ask the Devs” forum section.

Gone are the monthly HBS Dev Q&A’s.

Gone are the HBS Dev-Twitter-Accounts (Kiva’s as an example, though she still maintains her personal Twitter Account.)

Gone is the twice-a-week or weekly HBS-run Death-From-Above Twitch Program.

Gone is the HBS Forum.

Gone is HBS from this year’s GENCON.



To me, the above represents a sea-change in HBS Customer Interaction. One that may endure or be of a temporary nature. But to be clear, I am not talking about Mitch and Devs occasionally dropping into a thread here on the Paradox BATTLETECH forum. The above instances of customer interaction represents a uniquely high commitment on the part of HBS to invest in its level of interaction with its BATTLETECH Customers. It is this commitment, policy and practice that I am noting as having changed, significantly enough that it to me represents a sea-change.



Here’s where I am coming from. I paid $125 (House Scion level-of-backing) to help kickstart BATTLETECH. BATTLETECH (the game itself) earned HBS my $125.

But HBS (through the above listed means of customer interaction) quickly came to distinguish itself as separate from the pack of near-peer game developers.

My more than 12k posts to the HBS forum and more than 2,500 posts here on Paradox’ BATTLETECH forum are a direct result of BOTH HBS’ original policy and practices of interaction with its customers.

I have come to VALUE HBS Customer Interaction. In support and with a like-intention I have joined with HBS and my fellow HBS Customers and contributed directly toward building an even healthier BATTLETECH game community. My posts in general, my forum efforts to greet & orient forum members new to our BATTLETECH community (currently reflected in the composition of my signature block) as well as my having run a couple GENCON 50 BATTLETECH Meet and Greets ~ were all sparked by HBS’s original policy and practice of investment in its Customer Interaction.


But now HBS appears to be on a different track. And to me, something that set HBS above its competition is in the process of fading away.


Do you agree?

Are there extenuating circumstances, beyond the acqusition by Paradox that should be considered?


If you have any comments, questions or critisms, please let me know. :bow:

As ever good luck and good BATTLETECH gaming! : )

Totally agree

I'm deeply concerned by the Paradox acquisition

There is literally NO contact from HBS anymore

 

[Havamal]

Greetings Mechwarriors,

Please as always avoid demands at the Devs for unplanned information, and avoid spamming multiple posts of the same content or opinions whether in one thread or across several.

We are not engaging in bandwagonning concern trolling as a pretext to spam demands for Dev news out of its proper time. I can think of few more disrespectful pastimes to engage in.

Such has always been inappropriate.
Community members are welcome and encouraged to express respectfully phrased criticism and negative opinions, but not to make it personal or wage a campaign in doing so.


Thank you.

 

[kerensky-VII]

can we pleeeeeease get back to unreasonable demands for four-legged mechs in the game? those were more fun.

 

[Dohle]

I have to agree with the OP. HBS was (and to be fair, still is) one of my absolute favourite developers because of the fantastic community interaction, and seeing that interaction missing since launch is almost heartbreaking. However, I don't mean that the situation could not be remedied. When it's time to announce the next big patch or expansion or whatever, I truly hope we'll see more consistent communication. But the main issue here is that that communication is key. I'm not advocating for constant Twitter posts or forum messages, let alone continuing the monthly Q&As which - let's be fair - really aren't that important post launch anymore (although I would love for less frequent Q&As or some form of similar, really concrete community interaction). But at the very least I would like some minimum communication about what's going on. If HBS is having a long and deserved vacation after launch and communication will be sparse, make an announcement. If you're working on the next big thing, during which communication won't be priority, make an announcement, even if you can't say what that thing is specifically (some HBS peeps have actually done this, for which I thank you). Most people here understand if community interaction is taking a backseat for the time being, but we (or at least I) very much like to be clear about the situation.

All that being said, I'm still very much looking forward to the next updates, and I really hope we can get community interaction to the same level as it was before once the dust settles.

 

[Almond_Brown]

So agree. 3 months of silence .

And 2 Patches! Or do they not constitute Dev interaction based on Community Feed back?

 

[stjobe]

And 2 Patches! Or do they not constitute Dev interaction based on Community Feed back?

Not to mention that there have been over 100 (at least 116, since that's how many results the forum search function returned) posts by HBS devs since May 7th (the "three months of silence").

 

[NeonKnight]

Long time Lurker...Little time poster. First off the following is FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE. of course once it get's to you it becomes second hand knowledge.

On Sunday, returning from GENCON, I happened to be on the same flight as Mitch. Having a bit of a history with him (played against him and Jordan two GenCon's ago in the MASTER & MINIONS tournament, and seeing him every December at MECH-CON here in Vancouver), I said Hi to him and asked him a few questions while waiting to board.

Yes, I asked what I am sure he has been asked a bajillion times already: "When will we see the Warhammer, Marauder etc in the game?" and he replied, naturally and patiently "Sorry I cannot comment on ANYTHING with regards to the past case." [Mitch...If you are reading this, I am sorry for asking, but as a fan, first time for asking it for me, and I respect your answer!]

However, Mitch did answer one important question:

ME: So, what game are you folks at HBS working on now?

MITCH: More Battletech!

So, take that answer however you wish.

 

[nainredwood]

Long time Lurker...Little time poster. First off the following is FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE. of course once it get's to you it becomes second hand knowledge.

On Sunday, returning from GENCON, I happened to be on the same flight as Mitch. Having a bit of a history with him (played against him and Jordan two GenCon's ago in the MASTER & MINIONS tournament, and seeing him every December at MECH-CON here in Vancouver), I said Hi to him and asked him a few questions while waiting to board.

Yes, I asked what I am sure he has been asked a bajillion times already: "When will we see the Warhammer, Marauder etc in the game?" and he replied, naturally and patiently "Sorry I cannot comment on ANYTHING with regards to the past case." [Mitch...If you are reading this, I am sorry for asking, but as a fan, first time for asking it for me, and I respect your answer!]

However, Mitch did answer one important question:

ME: So, what game are you folks at HBS working on now?

MITCH: More Battletech!

So, take that answer however you wish.

More BattleTech is comming which is awesome. It's not anything new though. The hunger for more concrete info is real

Not sure why anyone would disagree with you though.

 

[NeonKnight]

More BattleTech is comming which is awesome. It's not anything new though. The hunger for more concrete info is real

Not sure why anyone would disagree with you though.

Seems someone did...

 

[Pewpew!]

I would've asked the same things if I saw Mitch to be honest. The whole classic mech question will probably be answered for the next Big Update.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I would've asked the same things if I saw Mitch to be honest. The whole classic mech question will probably be answered for the next Big Update.

I wish I were as optimistic as you are Good Sir. :bow:

 

[NeonKnight]

Well...I did ask Mitch another question, to which I got a very interesting reply, and I will return here in a few weeks time with a HECK YA! if it comes to fruition.

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

Seems someone did...

I'm sure they miss-clicked and didn't realize it .